Tag Archives: sin

July 2

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Hosea 10-14; Micah 1:1-7

The nation of Israel really was just a group of individuals. Tall people, short people, thin people, fat people, weak people, strong people, nice people and jerks. So when Hosea is sharing what God said to the nation he is sharing what God said to this person and that one.

I am reminded that the church is the spiritual nation of Israel. And the church is really just one person after another. Hosea is telling the Old Testament nation of Israel and the New Testament church that God is not happy when we forget him. Consequences occur and will continue to worsen as long as we get further from the Truth of Scripture.

But God wants to redeem us. “I will ransom them from the power of the grave.”

Have you drifted away from God? Do you recognize sin in your life? Let God tell you what he longs for.

Read Hosea 14 and substitute your name for Israel. “Return, Connie, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall… I will heal Connie’s waywardness and love her freely, for my anger has turned away from her…”

Remember what God said to the Old Testament nation of Israel he says to us today. He longs for each of us to have a right relationship with him.

What are we waiting for?

June 26

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Amos 2-6

God is angry with the Jewish people. Amos reminds them the lengths to which God has gone to get their attention in order to bring them back to himself. But they still disobey. They still cling to evil and despise him who tells the truth.

God is telling Israel about the destruction that is coming as a consequence for their disobedience. I know there are different interpretations of “the day of the Lord” and what that means to us in 2013. I, myself, have strong opinions. But if Amos is talking about the rapture in 5:16-20 we need to take note.

I cringe when I hear someone say, “Bring back the King”, or say that this world is just too corrupt they wish God would just come back and end it all. These people may believe that lost souls will continue to be saved once the church is removed but I’m not so sure about that.

Amos says – woe to you who long for the day of the Lord. It’s going to be so much worse than you can imagine.

I would suggest that as Christians our prayer needs to be, tarry Lord. I still haven’t reached my neighbor, my brother, my co-worker for you. There is still so much to do before you come back, dear Jesus.

Instead of throwing our hands up in defeat, maybe we should get off our couches and get out there where people need to know the Lord. There are people who will spend eternity in hell if we don’t. 

June 21

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2 Kings 9:1-37, 10:1-27, 11:1-3; 2 Chronicles 22:7-12

What do you have to do with peace? Joram asked that question of the men sent to find out what were his intentions. Then, when King Ahaziah came to Joram and asked if Joram came in peace, Joram replied: How can there be peace as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?

Are you restless or anxious today? Or do you enjoy peace in your soul? Joram would tell us that there can be no real peace as long as we entertain sin in our lives. As you read this today did God bring to mind an unconfessed sin? Can you identify an idol in your life that has taken your focus from God? Do you harbor jealousy or anger toward someone?

You cannot hope to have peace if you are holding on to sin.

I pray for peace in your life today. May God convict your heart, dear restless soul. May you confess and repent and may you know the peace that passes all understanding. May you know that sweet peace that comes from a pure heart made clean by Jesus’ blood.

June 10

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Ecclesiastes 11&12; Psalms 73&88; I Kings 11:41-43, 14:21; 2 Chronicles 9:29-31, 12:13&14

What is Solomon’s conclusion to his experiment? After who knows how many years of earnestly seeking happiness and meaning what is his answer?

Ecclesiastes 12:13&14 say:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Solomon came to realize late in life that it’s all about God. He challenges young people to remember their Creator before the days of trouble come. Wisdom, pleasure, wealth, religion, morality, living for yourself are all meaningless. 

I hope Solomon found joy at the end of his life. I hope he turned back to God and repented of his wasted years. The Bible doesn’t really say. It just tells us Solomon died after leading Israel for forty years and was buried in the City of David. 

I don’t know where you are in life but I do know it’s never too early or too late to turn to God. If you are finding your life has no meaning, if you cannot find joy and contentment, Solomon and I would suggest you are looking in the wrong places.

Jesus died to give your life meaning. He longs to fill you with his joy. Just accept it. Repent of selfish ambition or misguided efforts. Recognize sin and lay them at his feet. I promise you will find the most amazing meaning to life .

It’s in God alone.

June 3

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Proverbs 22:1-24:22

Have you ever been bitten by the green-eyed monster? You see your neighbor, who is vocal about his dislike for Christians, drive up in his new luxury car while you are praying you can coax one more year out of your 2000 SUV. Or that guy at work keeps getting promoted and you know he spends his weekends in a bottle and you catch him lying to the bosses. Here you are, working like crazy, living a life set apart to honor God and you keep getting overlooked when promotions are given. 

Proverbs 23:17-18 says: Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

You know that “do not envy” is another of God’s top ten commandments, don’t you? There is a reason for that. Envy, like any sin, eats away at our joy, our peace and contentment. It causes us to doubt God and drives a wedge between us and the Lord. The more we feed it, the bigger and more destructive it gets. 

Remember that everything that happens in this life is intended to draw all people to God. He is not willing that that neighbor or co-worker should perish and we don’t know what God is using in their lives to draw them to himself. It might be that car or that promotion. 

Is God opening a door for you to talk with your neighbor about his new car? Does God want your neighbor to see Jesus in you? Does God want to use you to represent him in your workplace whether or not you get a promotion? If we allow jealousy to enter our lives we cannot do what God wants us to, intends for us to do.

Father God, it’s kind of hard sometimes to watch a sinful world get ahead while we who follow you struggle. It’s tempting to want what they have, to join in their fun, or cut corners to get ahead. God help us who love you to be zealous for the fear of the Lord. To be the people you intend for us to be, to allow you to use us to reveal you to our world, and to be thankful for the privilege no matter what our circumstance. Our future, our hope is in you.

June 2

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Proverbs 19-21

20:9 says:

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?

The Bible tells us no one is righteous.  Not even one. It also says all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. 

We all sin. And just because we have a personal relationship with the Lord doesn’t mean we are immune from sinning. Satan doesn’t just write us off when we accept Jesus as our Savior. In fact, if we’re honest Satan often steps up his game a little in the lives of Christians.

Sometimes I think we can be too hard on ourselves about past sins. We might have committed what we consider to be some pretty awful sins or we might feel guilty about lying to someone. 

One thing I see in the Bible is that God doesn’t grade sins. He doesn’t consider murder more of an offense than gluttony. He didn’t die once for some sins and twice for others. He died once and for all.

Ok. So you’re a sinner. Welcome to the human race. Repent and move on. Jesus died for you. Your sins… all of them… are forgiven when you repent. If you carry the guilt of your sin, if you keep beating yourself up for past mistakes, if you allow those things to hold you back, that’s on you. It’s not from God. In fact, it just might be Satan’s weapon to keep you ineffective for the kingdom.

When we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. Did you get that? You can stand before God today whiter than snow because Jesus’ blood paid the price. 

If you have gone to God and asked him to forgive you, then trust him to do that. The guilt you hold on to just might be a sin you need to confess. Let him free you of that, too.

And remember, no one can say they have kept a pure heart or are clean and without sin. Don’t let Satan make you think your sins are too ugly for God to forgive. Or that you deserve this feeling of guilt. All of us are in the same boat. And we have a great God who wants us to accept what he has to offer: forgiveness, cleansing, freedom.

Letting go of guilt doesn’t mean we don’t remember. We should remember so we don’t repeat our sin. Letting go of guilt doesn’t mean we think we got away with something. The penalty for that sin cost Jesus his life. But he wanted to pay for it. He wanted to go to the cross to free us from that sin. My prayer is that we all will let him do that.

If you are feeling guilty about something, thank God for his grace and use the memory of that sin to remind you how really awesome his grace is to forgive even that. Don’t let Satan steal your joy. Let God turn Satan’s attack into a blessing.

Father in Heaven, I pray for hurting people today. I know there isn’t one person reading this today who hasn’t done something or said something that they regret. I know some are carrying the physical consequences of past sins. But, God, I also know you are faithful to forgive when we ask. Please help your people to forgive ourselves, too, so that we can be free to reach out to others. Defeat Satan in our lives when he would keep us captive to past sins. Thank you for Jesus and his work on the cross that allows us to live lives free of sin that would entangle us. Help us to walk free today.

May 31

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Proverbs 14 & 15

Of my 37 years in public education, 25 of them were spent working with middle school children. There is something about that age group I just love. I had a principal who used to say you could tell the difference between a sixth and an eighth grader by the way they go through the halls. Sixth graders want to run everywhere. By the time they get to be eighth graders not only does their pace slow in the hall, it can be a challenge to keep them awake during a fifty minute class.

I loved being a part of the transition from child to the early teens. Their thinking changes. Their goals change. And attitude? Nuf said.

But as much as I enjoyed middle school kids I can honestly say I never won an argument with one. Proverbs 15:1 reminded me of that this morning. If a child was angry and I spoke to him or her in my anger, neither one of us was heard. And neither one of us was able to get to the bottom of the problem

But over the years I learned that if I stayed calm, we had a better chance of working things out. If I allowed myself to be sucked in to their anger, if I stooped to their level of frustration, it wasn’t pretty.

Have you found that to be true in your own relationships? Have you ever said something in anger you later regretted? Anger is not a sin. But how we express it can be.

What does Proverbs 15:1 say? “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” If you have a screaming match with your child do you think that will calm things down? Do you think they hear you better if you talk louder? If you are sarcastic or demeaning to your child, do you think that’s going to make them want to be better, to please you? Think again.

A gentle answer must be the key or it wouldn’t be written here in Proverbs. My prayer is that we will all learn to be angry and not sin, to keep our mouths closed while we are angry, knowing a harsh word stirs up anger.

Father, I pray for all of us that we will choose to control our tongues no matter how angry we get. Whether we are at the work place, in our home, or sitting on the stands watching our children play baseball. Bring to mind Proverbs 15:1 and help us to remember that a gentle answer turns away wrath. May we be wise, dear Lord, even in our anger.

May 28

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Proverbs 5-7

Solomon talks a lot about the adulteress. His warnings against her are urgent and strong. But if we look at this section of Scripture as simply talking about sex between people who are not married to each other we miss some urgent and strong warnings directed at all of us.

God is our bridegroom. Remember Solomon’s Song? The relationship between God and those who accept his grace is as intimate, as personal, and as exclusive as a marriage relationship is designed to be.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is one of God’s top ten commandments.

So when I read these verses in the book of Proverbs I need to remind myself that anything that compromises my relationship with Christ is to be taken seriously. Anything. 

The “adulteress” in my life could be another person. But it could also be my career. It could be a prideful heart. It might be gossip, fun or fantasy, lying or lust. 

Solomon is warning us to flee anything or anyone that would lead us astray. If you haven’t read today’s chapters in Proverbs I hope you do. And if you have, I challenge you to reread them and ask God to put a face on your “adulteress”. Identify that person or thing that is actively seeking to compromise your relationship with your bridegroom.

Then, my prayer is that you will commit that adulteress to the Lord, asking him to help you resist, to flee, to have victory over the temptation to be unfaithful to Jesus. God wants to give you victory today.

May 27

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Proverbs 2-4

Solomon is talking about wisdom and the benefit of godly wisdom. It’s wise to follow God, to turn from evil. Sound judgement and discernment are life to you, he says. Listen to your parents and don’t step foot on the path of the wicked. Trust in God and he will straighten you out. 

Then Solomon says in 2:23, “Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Is that a little anatomy lesson from Dr Solomon about exercise and watching your cholesterol? Those things are wise. But he goes on to say don’t swear or tell dirty jokes, keep your eyes from wandering, stay on the straight and narrow and keep your foot from evil.

I’ve heard married people say, “There’s no harm in looking” when they notice an attractive person of the opposite sex. Solomon begs to differ. 

What we read, watch on TV, listen to in our music, laugh at during break time at work are feeding our hearts. Don’t kid yourself that it doesn’t effect you. That’s foolishness to think.

I imagine very few people wake up one day and say – I think I’ll have an affair today. Or I think I’ll become an alcoholic today. Or I want to lose all my money on a card game today. But affairs happen, alcoholism is a reality, and families suffer because of gambling. Those and other sins begin one choice at a time.

Sure you don’t become an alcoholic by having that first drink. But that first drink can lead to another and another. One look at an attractive person isn’t an affair. But that look can lead to longing, imagining, desire. What starts out as innocent, as harmless fun or recreation too often leads to full blown sin and heartache.

So Solomon warns us to guard our hearts. Pay attention to what you feed it. Control your impulses while you can. Don’t be foolish enough to think you are different than anyone else, that you can control yourself when others can’t. That’s putting your toe on the road to destruction. And that’s the first step to real trouble.

There’s going to be a lot of wisdom thrown at us in the next few days as we read Proverbs. May God find our hearts eager to be nourished by his word.

May 8

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2 Samuel 24:1-25, 15:7-36; I Chronicles 21:1-30

Not sure why counting the troops was such a big deal. Maybe it wasn’t the census that was a sin, but doing it without going to God first was.

Once again I am reminded that if God isn’t in it, even the simplest, most innocent act can be sin. I wonder how many examples of this lesson are recorded in the Bible. Dozens, I expect. And always those who are obedient to God are blessed, those who go in on their own suffer consequences.

This year as I read God’s Word I am struck at the importance of this theme. Yes, God is loving and forgiving, gracious and kind. But he is none of that at the exclusion of his holiness and his demand to be obeyed.

If we worship a god of love, a tolerant god who accepts multiple avenues to him, we worship a worthless idol. That is not the God of the Bible, who is loving AND holy, who is forgiving AND a righteous judge, who cannot tolerate sin AND who gave his life so that we can stand before him faultless when we accept him as our Savior.

My prayer is that we will go to God on his terms, that we will obey him in every detail of life. And that we will share him with others, knowing there just is no other way.